Cleat supporting mechanism



Dec. 18, 1934.y H. PAxToN CLEAT SUPPORTING 4vMIEKHIANISM 'Filed June 1s,1932 Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED sTATEs CLEAT SUPPORTING MECHANISMHale Paxton, Redlands, Calif., assignor to Paxton Credit Corporation,Sanger, Calif., a corporation of California Application June 13, 1932,Serial No.- 816,934

s claims. (ci. 11o) v My invention relates to box lidding machines andis particularly useful in the nailing of lids onto crates.

Many crates which are used for shipping agricultural produce areprovided with fabricated ends to which the lidof the crate is nailedafter the crate is packed. These crate ends are not'as rigid as thesolid ends commonly used in the making of boxes, and considerablediiliculty often results in nailing lids to such crates as the topcleats of such fabricated ends are not supported well enough towithstand the force required to nail on the lids.

It is an object of my invention to provide a mechanism for supportingfabricated crate ends while lids are being nailed on such crates by alldding machine.

A further object of my invention is to provide a supporting mechanismwhich is actuated automatically by a lidding machine.

Further objects and advantages will be made manifest in the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view of a lidding machine havingincorporated therewith a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion'of themachine shown in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1,the crate disposed therein being shown in section to more clearlydisclose the parts thereof in relation to the parts of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the operation of themechanism of my invention.

Referring particularly to the drawings, a lidd'ng machine 10, havingassociated therewith a' preferred embodiment of my invention, includes aframe 11, a crate supporting elevator 12, and a lid nailing mechanism13. Y

The frame 11 includes a suitable base 1 6, vertical standards 17,transverse members 18, and forwardly extending brackets, 19 it beingunderstood that only the right-hand portion of the machine 10 is shownin the drawings, and that the left side of the machine is identical withthe right side.

The elevator l2 includes a hydraulic cylinder 25 which is adapted toraise vand lower a crate receiving platform 26. The platform 26 hasrollers 27 mounted thereon upon which a crate 30` is adapted to berolled. Automatic stops 31 are positioned at opposite ends of theplatform 26 for the purpose of positioning the crate in longitudinalrelation with the platform 26.

, The lid nailing mechanism 13 includes `a plurality of nail chucks35which are secured to the brackets 19. Slidably received by each of thechucks 35 are nail drivers 36, the upper ends of which are securedz tobars 40. Opposite ends of 5 the bars 40 are secured to front and reartransverse bars 41 and 42, respectively. Suitably journaled in the sidestandards 17 is a shaft 45 having cranks 46 fixed upon opposite endsthereof. The shaft 45 is adapted to be given a. single revolution at thedesire of the operator of the machine 10 by means of a motor and clutch(not shown). Slidable vertically within each of the standards 17 arecross-heads (not shown) which are adapted to be reciprocated verticallyby pitmen 48, the lower ends of which are pivotally secured to thecranks 46 as shown. Opposite ends of the transverse bar 42 are securedto the upper ends of the cross-heads, and opposite ends of the bar 41are braced by diagonal bars 49 which are pivotally'secured to the upperends of the pitmen .48. The diagonal members 49 are centrally providedwith pairs of apertured ears 50. the purpose of which will be madeevident hereinafter.

When a packed crate has been received by the platform 26 and raised toits lid nailing position, as shown inFig; 1, one revolution of the shaft45 'lowers and raises the bars 40, 41, 42, and 49 as a unit and thedrivers 36 slide downwardly and upwardly within the chucks 35, therebynailing a lid 55 t" the ends of the crate 36. I

Bolted to each of the brackets 19 are downwardly extending anglebrackets 60, the central pair of these brackets having lid supportingfingers 61 mounted thereon. Secured to under faces of the brackets arelid presser and positioner bars 62 which are provided with pairs ofdepending ears 63. Swingably mounted between the pairs of ears 63 arelinks 65, the lower ends of these links receiving opposite ends ofshafts 66. Stop pins 67 are provided on the inner' faces of the links 65adjacent the lower ends thereof, and stop lugs 68 extend from the upperends of thel links4 65, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Pivotally mounted on the shafts 66 are clea supporting members '70, oneof which is clearly baches 'u are cieatanvus '15 and forks fzs. Piv- 55-stantially vertical otally mounted on the Operation Referringparticularly to Figs. 2 and 3, I have shown therein the operation of themechanism of my invention in connection with the nailing of the lid 55onto the crate 30, it being noted that the crate has fabricated ends 95which consist of top and bottom cleats 96 and 97 and side cleats 98,with relatively thin slats 99 nailed to the cleats 96 and 97. With thecrate v30 and the lid 55 pressed firmly against the nail chucks 35, asshown in Fig. l, the shaft 45 is caused to rotate and the cranks 46 andpitmen 48 draw the nailing mechanism 13 downwardly. As the diagonal bars49 move downwardly with the nailing mechanism the rods 85 which areconnected to these diagonal bars allow the crate end supporting membersand the links 65 to gravitate to the position in which these are shownin Fig. 3, it being noted that the links 65 are held in a subposition bycontact of the lugs 68 with the under side of the usher bars 61. Whenthe links 65 arein this position the cleat members 70 are positioneddire'ctly below the top cleats 96 of the crate 30. Further downwardmovement of' the rods 85 causes the members 70 to rotate about theshafts 66, and the anvils are brought into contact with the under sideof the cleats 96, as shown in Fig. 3. Any further downward movement ofthe rods increases the compression of the springs 93 and the anvils 75are brought into firm supporting relation with the cleats 96 at oppositeends of the crate.

When the springs 93 are compressed the force exerted by the anvils 75against the cleats 96 is equal to or greater than the force required tonail on the lid 55. Thus, very little orv no strain 50' is exerted onthe crate ends 95 during the, nailf ing operation. After the lid 55 isnailed to the crate 30, the nailing mechanism 13 returns to itsuppermost position and the rods 85 lift the crate end supporting members70 to the position shown in Fig. 2. While the members 70 are beinglifted, rotation of these members about the shafts 66 is prevented bycontact of the iingers 72 with the pins 67 on the links 65.

What I claim is:

1. In 'a lidding machine, the combination of: a frame; a table on saidframe for supporting crates having built up ends, each of which ends hasan upper cross-cleat; a superstructure on said frame over said table;vertically reciprocable nailing means on said superstructure; lidsupporting means on said superstructure; means to cause relativevertical table and said superstructure to permit the nailing of said lidto said crate ends;` and cleat 4movement between said' supporting leversfulcrumed on opposite sides of said superstructure, the outer ends ofsaid levers being connected to said reciprocable nailing means, and theinner ends thereof being adapted to swing upward into supportingrelation with said cross-cleats as said nailing means moves downward. f

2. A combination as in claim 1 in which said levers are yieldably urgedinto supporting relation with said cleats by said nailing means.

3. In a lidding machine for lidding crates having built-up ends withupper cross-cleats for receiving the nails for securing lids to saidcrates, the combination of: a frame; a mounted on said frame, said frameextending above said table; lid end engagingmeans and nail driving meansmounted on said lframe and disposedl over said table, there being ahorizontal path free of obstruction and disposed in alignment with thelongitudinal axis of a crate properly positioned on said table forcommencing a .lidding operation, said path being utilized for deliveringpacked crates successively onto said table for lidding these crates;means for causing relative vertical movement between said nailing tableand said lid end engaging means, after a crate has been properlypositioned on said table, to press the ends of the iid onto said crateend cleats; means for vertically reciprocating said nail driving meansto nail said lid to said cleats; cleat supports disposed out of saidpath; and means for shifting said supports beneath said nailing tablecleats to support the latter during the nailing of said lid to saidcleats. Y

4. A combination` as in claim 3 in which said cleat support shiftingmeans is automatically actuated during each lidding operation by saidreciprocating means.

5. A combination as in claim 3 in which said lid end engaging means isrigidly mounted on said frame, said relative movement means elevatessaid .table to press said lid on said crate, and said cleat supports aremounted on said lid end engaging means over said table.

6. A combination as in claim 3 in which said cleat supports arepivotallymounted on said lid engaging means and swing inwardly and up-.wardly into cleat supporting positions.

ceiving the nails for securing said lid thereto, the Y combination of: aframe; a nailing table mounted on said frame; nailing means mounted onsaid rame over said table; cleat supports vpivotally mounted on saidframe on horizontal axes adjacent said cleats and above' cleatsupporting faces of said supports; and means for rotating said supportst'o swing said faces beneath and upward into supporting engagement withsaid cleats.

8. A combination as in claim 7 in which outward extending arms areprovided on said cleat supports reciprocating means for, actuating saidnailing means; and means yieldably connecting said reciprocating meanstosaid arms so as to rotate said supports into cleat supportingpositions during the operation of said nailing means.

